UEFA Nations League champions Spain are set to face off against Denmark at Estadio Nueva Condomina on Saturday night, aiming to topple the Danes from the top spot in League A Group 4.
Denmark has had a strong start, collecting six points from their first two matches, while Spain trails by two points in second place.
Spain's head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has been steering the team since their triumph at Euro 2024, where they beat England 2-1 in the final. However, they kicked off their Nations League campaign with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Serbia.
They bounced back in their second match, defeating Switzerland 4-1, even after going down to 10 men early in the game. Fabian Ruiz scored twice, with Joselu and Ferran Torres also finding the net.
Spain's impressive form has seen them remain unbeaten in their last 12 matches, boasting 10 wins and two draws, and they haven’t lost since a friendly against Colombia back in March. They've been prolific in attack, scoring at least two goals in nine of those matches, including victories over top teams like Germany, France, and England.
Ranked third in the world by FIFA, Spain will be optimistic heading into Saturday’s match, having won their last four encounters with Denmark by a combined score of 10-2.
On the other hand, Denmark has had a rocky road since Euro 2024, where they failed to win any games, drawing all three group-stage matches and losing 2-0 to Germany in the round of 16.
This disappointing run led to the departure of manager Kasper Hjulmand, and caretaker boss Lars Knudsen has stepped in, winning both of his Nations League matches against Switzerland and Serbia.
Denmark’s recent 2-0 win over Switzerland who were down to nine men was followed by another 2-0 victory against Serbia, helping them shake off the frustration of a goalless draw during Euro 2024.
Currently ranked 20th in the world by FIFA, Denmark sits atop League A Group 4. After finishing second in their last two Nations League campaigns, they’re eager to maintain their lead this time around.
However, history is not on their side, as Denmark has only won two of their last 16 matches against Spain, with their last victory dating back to March 1993 in a World Cup qualifier.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Spain will be missing several key players, including Rodri and Dani Carvajal, who are out for months due to ACL injuries. Le Normand, who would have been suspended anyway, is sidelined with a traumatic brain injury from a recent match with Atletico Madrid. Additionally, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Nico Williams, and Bryan Gil are also unavailable.
Pedro Porro and Oscar Mingueza are competing for the right-back spot, and 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi may earn just his second senior international start in central defense alongside Aymeric Laporte. With Rodri absent, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is expected to step in as the midfield anchor, supported by Pedri and Fabian Ruiz. Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena might assist Alvaro Morata in attack.
On the Danish side, they’ll be without Joachim Andersen, Mikkel Damsgaard, Christian Norgaard, and Morten Frendrup due to injuries. Uncapped Toulouse defender Rasmus Nicolaisen has also had to withdraw.
However, Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is back in the squad after missing last month’s international break, and he could start up front, either alongside or in place of Yussuf Poulsen, who scored against Serbia recently.
Christian Eriksen is poised to earn his 137th cap in midfield, joining Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Morten Hjulmand, while Jannik Vestergaard is likely to form a back three with Rasmus Kristensen and Victor Nelsson.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Spain possible starting lineup:
Raya; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Pedri, Zubimendi, Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Baena
Denmark possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Kristensen, Vestergaard, Nelsson; Bah, Hojbjerg, Hjulmand, Kristiansen; Eriksen; Poulsen, Hojlund
EXPERT PREDICTION
Spain 3-0 Denmark
Denmark has had a solid start under caretaker coach Knudsen, but they'll face a real challenge going up against Spain, a team that still has a lot of talent even with some key players injured.
Spain is definitely the favorite for Saturday’s match, and it seems likely they’ll score more goals than Denmark, helping them secure the three points needed to move ahead of the Danes in the group standings.
